Hard to believe I've lived this long and never read the book although I vaguely remember seeing the movie. Such a tragic story...love gained, love lost, love gained, love lost. Gatsby is considered to be the seminal representation of the Roaring Twenties. Maybe for the ultra rich. I would agree with the reviewer in the Guardian who notes that "...the characters in The Great Gatsby are in themselves very flawed and very hard to sympathise with." And also with the quote he picks out that characterizes their flaws: "They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money and vast carelessness." Even our narrator, Nick Carraway, offers little to hold onto or empathize with. Here is the conclusion to their review: "Their inability to care is what makes The Great Gatsby the stark opposite to Romeo and Juliet where the lovers are sacrificed and Verona is healed. In Fitzgerald's masterpiece nothing is made whole by this tragedy. Many consider The Great Gatsby to be depressing because, in the end, those who dream do not achieve their aspirations. However, the main message that Fitzgerald sends to us isn't that dreaming will lead to despair, but that chasing an unworthy dream will lead to tragedy." Gatsby is stuck in a memory from years ago and he can't seem to imagine that, while he has been working to earn Daisy's love, Daisy has changed.
The New York Times examines the reviews of the book, both positive and scathingly negative, e.g., meritricious, a bauble, work of an author who is "barely literate" (Gore Vidal). And they note that perhaps the best way to gauge the immortality of a work is by reviewing the "insane glut" of influence that the book has had on literature, stage and screen. In that regard, Gatsby certainly deserves its reputation.
